Gaming machines, such as slot machines, video poker machines and the like, have been a cornerstone of the gaming industry for several years. Generally, the popularity of such machines with players is dependent on the likelihood (or perceived likelihood) of winning money at the machine and the intrinsic entertainment value of the machine relative to other available gaming options. Where the available gaming options include a number of competing machines and the expectation of winning at each machine is roughly the same (or believed to be the same), players are likely to be attracted to the most entertaining and exciting machines. Shrewd operators consequently strive to employ the most entertaining and exciting machines, features, and enhancements available because such machines attract frequent play and hence increase profitability to the operator. Therefore, there is a continuing need for gaming machine manufacturers to continuously develop new games and improved gaming enhancements that will attract frequent play through enhanced entertainment value to the player.
One concept that has been successfully employed to enhance the entertainment value of a game is the concept of a “secondary” or “bonus” game that may be played in conjunction with a “basic” game. The bonus game may comprise any type of game, either similar to or completely different from the basic game, which is entered upon the occurrence of a selected event or outcome in the basic game. Generally, bonus games provide a greater expectation of winning than the basic game and may also be accompanied with more attractive or unusual video displays and/or audio. Bonus games may additionally award players with “progressive jackpot” awards that are funded, at least in part, by a percentage of coin-in from the gaming machine or a plurality of participating gaming machines. Because the bonus game concept offers tremendous advantages in player appeal and excitement relative to other known games, and because such games are attractive to both players and operators, there is a continuing need to develop gaming machines with new types of bonus games to satisfy the demands of players and operators.
Players increasingly interact with video wagering content via touch screen devices and/or button-panel devices. As the industry of video wagering games grows, new distribution channels (e.g., TV, internet, handheld devices, mobile devices, etc.) are used to deliver the games to the players. Although the new distribution channels provide the players with familiar video wagering games, the players are not provided with a familiar device for interacting with the games. Thus, one problem associated with the new distribution channels is that players are required to use unfamiliar, or unconventional, devices for interacting with the wagering games.
For example, if a player wishes to use a TV set in a hotel room to play a wagering game, the player's sole device for interacting with the TV may likely be the TV remote control. A problem associated with using the TV remote control is that the player must figure out which functions of the wagering game are controlled by which buttons of the TV remote control. Thus, the player may have to figure out that the “Channel Up” button on the remote control may control the “Spin” function of a slots video wagering game. Even if the player figures out which buttons of the TV remote control are associated with which functions of the wagering game, another problem is that it provides the player with an unfamiliar playing experience. Specifically, the player must use the TV remote control—which is not dedicated to wagering games—to spin the reels of a slots gaming machine. The player's gaming experience is likely to be confusing and frustrating.
Thus, a need exists for a remote input device to control a display device when playing a wagering game. The present invention is directed to satisfying one or more of these needs and solving other problems.